Ovation TV, America's only arts network, has commenced production on a new, original documentary film that will celebrate the history of Ford's Theatre as one of the nation's most iconic cultural institutions. Ford's Theatre: America's Playhouse is being co-produced by Ovation Studios and 1895 Films and is set to premiere on April 14 at 10 pm ET, only on Ovation TV.
This April marks the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, an important Civil War era event that Ford's Theatre has honored and meticulously documented to preserve the legacy of President Lincoln. In Ford's Theatre: America's Playhouse,
Ovation TV will pay tribute to this bastion of history, education and performance with an in-depth look at its earliest beginnings, where the theatre is now and its goals for the future.
"Ford's Theatre has a rich and storied past, even beyond the assassination 150 years ago," notes Scott Woodward, EVP, Programming and Production, Ovation TV. "It was a celebrated venue for live performances that went through a series of challenges, including a fire that destroyed theatre in 1862. In this documentary, we'll explore its rich history and what's ahead for this Washington landmark."
"This documentary film provides us with the opportunity to memorialize an important anniversary in the theatre's, as well as America's history, while also looking forward to the future of a great American playhouse," said Paul R. Tetreault, Director, Ford's Theatre. "Ovation is the perfect network to showcase Ford's legacy as a cultural icon."
Using rare footage, photographs and interviews with historians, as well as directors and actors from the theatre itself, Ford's Theatre: America's Playhouse will follow its history from when it first occupied an abandoned church, through the tragic fire that destroyed it, its various renovations, Lincoln's involvement with the theatre and assassination there, its closure and re-opening in 1968, restoration and re-opening in 2009 and planned events around the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination taking place this year.
Ford's Theatre: America's Playhouse is being co-produced by Ovation Studios and 1895 Films, the Peabody Award-winning production company headed by Tom Jennings, and will premiere Tuesday, April 14 at 10 pm ET on Ovation TV.
For more information and images, please visit
http://www.ovationtv.com/news
Ford's Theatre Society
Since reopening in 1968, more than a hundred years after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Ford's Theatre has celebrated Lincoln's legacy and explored the
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE through theatre and education. Under the leadership of Director Paul R. Tetreault, Ford's Theatre has been recognized for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford's Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. For its accomplishment, the organization was honored in 2008 with the National Medal of Arts. For more information, visit www.fords.org.
ABOUT TOM JENNINGS AND 1895 FILMS
Tom Jennings started his own production company -- formerly known as Tom Jennings Productions -- in 2004 and specialized in non-fiction programming that covered everything from politics and religion to history and crime, sports, mystery and travel. In his career, Tom has created hundreds of hours of programming for networks including CBS, Discovery, National Geographic Channel, Investigation Discovery, A&E, PBS,
MSNBC and History. 1895 Films has won the Peabody Award, the International 3D Society's Creative Arts Award, multiple Telly Awards and several New York Film Festival awards for documentary filmmaking. Prior to getting into television and film production, Jennings was a journalist whose investigative reporting was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. In 2012, Tom Jennings Productions rebranded as 1895 Films and expanded into international production, feature films and 3D. For more information, go to www.1895films.com.
About Ovation TV
Ovation TV is America's only arts network, whose mission is to inspire the world through all forms of art and artistic expression.
Ovation TV programming is a one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated art-centric series, documentaries, films and specials. The network reaches a national audience of over 54 million homes and is available on cable, satellite, and telco systems, such as Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Time Warner Cable, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Bright House Networks, RCN, and Hawaiian Telcom.
Ovation TV is also available on VOD (in both standard and high definition). The network's diversified viewer experiences extend across its linear network, the popular ovationtv.com, and active social presence on Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube and more.
Ovation TV is a cause based-media company and is deeply engaged with the arts both nationally and locally, providing more than $15 million in contributions and in-kind support to community organizations, cultural institutions, and arts education programs. See the
Ovation TV Facebook page for the latest information and conversations happening across the brand and the arts:
www.facebook.com/OvationTV.
